Motorsports Trivia Thread!
- Thread starter Cap'n Jack
- 7,183 comments
- 336,986 views
- 4,389
- Tennessee
- nail-27
I don't think that anyone got Little Frog. It was what his team ( Mclaren... whom he joined after demolishing Kevin Cogan in a drivers test in which he beat John Watsons base line lap) call Alain Prost.
The last time three drivers contested the championship in a seasonal showdown was in 1986, when Alain Prost (McLaren) took on Williams-Honda team-mates Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet in the Australian GP at Adelaide. Birmingham's finest lost his title when a rear tyre exploded, Piquet made a precautionary tyre stop and Prost - "the Professor" to his French fans and "Tadpole" (little Frog) to his team - secured his second straight title.
There. was a little crouching frog on his car by the roll hoop.,.I have the picture somewhere...perhaps in Autocourse from his first year.
- 4,389
- Tennessee
- nail-27
One this day in 1968 I was driving back to College. I stopped and picked up a fellow student( a girl who was well conversed in motor racing).. She turned to me and said, you follow F1 don't you. I said yes. She hesitated, I noticed her eyes were red, and she said, "Jimmy died today" I was stunned. It simply was not possible that the smoothest, fastest, snd most humble driver of all time was dead. At the next rest area I stopped and called the New York Times ( this was back in the days of papers, not pixels) they confirmed the story.
http://buff.ly/2nKrr0G for a great write up
http://buff.ly/2nKrr0G for a great write up
Pete05
Premium
- 7,101
- Melbourne, Australia
I have a book at home that will tell me all I need to know about the cars participation in the AGP.
Unfortunately, I'm not home
I've consulted the book
'The Official 50-race History of the Australian Grand Prix'
I mention in the post above.
It records a Chamberlain of 1005cc driven by A.Chamberlain in Class B being entered in the 1931 event run on 23 March.
This race was to see the lowest number of both entrants and starters of any pre-war Australian Grand Prix. Nineteen entered, 13 started.
In the text...
"Most interesting car in the race was the 1005cc Chamberlain, built by Alan and Howard Chamberlainof tractor fame. It had been mooted for some time, but development problems and changes in engine detail kept it from the Island (Phillip Island, the location of the GP from 1928-1935) until this event. Flat-towed to the Island behind a Hudson with a length of timber as the towing medium, the car was delayed getting to the circuit (there were heavy rains in the days preceding the meeting) and then it holed a piston. Bob Chamberlain went back to the workshop and machined a new piston from a semi-finished casting and raced back to Stony Point on a motorcycle. The 6am Ferry on Monday got him to the Island in plenty of time, but the hastily-repaired engine seized."
For 1932, the car was entered again. According to the Entry List, it was to start from a 19 minute handicap.
From reading the text, the Chamberlain did take the start, was sitting in third place and showing great pace until lap 5 when it retired with 'engine trouble'
The 1933 Entry List shows the Chamberlain as a 1004cc s/c (interpreted as being Supercharged) courtesy of more development and the fitment of a Roots-type supercharger.
From the text...
"Saturday's practice saw the usual crop of problems, unfortunately, including the demise of the Chamberlain Special. After recording 118mph on the back straight using 18psi blower pressure, the little twin-cylinder front wheel drive car seized a big end and let go."
This is the last mention of the Chamberlain in pre-war Australian Grands Prix.
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Outstanding reply! You are awarded the winner of my trivia question!
We will set aside the problem of the Sima Violet to another day.
Imagine, if you can, a one off special built almost 50 years ago (now 90) and having the following features;
1. A 4 cylinder stepped bore, 8 piston, vertically opposed, supercharged, 2-stroke engine with 2 crankshafts one of which runs through the skirt of the top pistons.
2. An engine which runs to 8000rpm.
3. Twin plugs per cylinder producing 64000 sparks per minute (from 8 coils) at 8000rpm.
4. Front wheel drive with inboard brakes.
5. Four wheel independent suspension.
6. A space frame chassis of small diameter tubes, much of it triangulated.
7. An 1100cc 85+ BHP motor.
8. Virtually the whole car built in Australia.
Any one of these features would have been remarkable and distinctive in 1929 when the car itself was built, or in the early 1930’s when the present engine was inserted. In combination the assemblage of features makes for one of the most amazing cars the world has seen. That it was constructed by a small group of enthusiasts rather than a large and experienced factory makes it all the more remarkable.
Bob Chamberlain at the wheel of the Chamberlain ‘Beetle’. Circa 1929, car in its original motor cycle engined form.(Chamberlain Australian Innovator)
The car is the ear-splitting Chamberlain Special and its builders are Alan (Bob) and Howard (Bill) Chamberlain (with a little help from their friends). Bob built the original car while Bill built the 8-cylinder, 2-stroke engine.
https://primotipo.com/2015/07/24/chamberlain-8-by-john-medley-and-mark-bisset/
Last edited:
Pete05
Premium
- 7,101
- Melbourne, Australia
Thank you @DotiniOutstanding reply! You are awarded the winner of my trivia question!
We will set aside the problem of the Sima Violet to another day.
Imagine, if you can, a one off special built almost 50 years ago (now 90) and having the following features;
1. A 4 cylinder stepped bore, 8 piston, vertically opposed, supercharged, 2-stroke engine with 2 crankshafts one of which runs through the skirt of the top pistons.
2. An engine which runs to 8000rpm.
3. Twin plugs per cylinder producing 64000 sparks per minute (from 8 coils) at 8000rpm.
4. Front wheel drive with inboard brakes.
5. Four wheel independent suspension.
6. A space frame chassis of small diameter tubes, much of it triangulated.
7. An 1100cc 85+ BHP motor.
8. Virtually the whole car built in Australia.
Any one of these features would have been remarkable and distinctive in 1929 when the car itself was built, or in the early 1930’s when the present engine was inserted. In combination the assemblage of features makes for one of the most amazing cars the world has seen. That it was constructed by a small group of enthusiasts rather than a large and experienced factory makes it all the more remarkable.
Bob Chamberlain at the wheel of the Chamberlain ‘Beetle’. Circa 1929, car in its original motor cycle engined form.(Chamberlain Australian Innovator)
The car is the ear-splitting Chamberlain Special and its builders are Alan (Bob) and Howard (Bill) Chamberlain (with a little help from their friends). Bob built the original car while Bill built the 8-cylinder, 2-stroke engine.
https://primotipo.com/2015/07/24/chamberlain-8-by-john-medley-and-mark-bisset/
After reading the article you linked above, it has dawned on me that I have been to events where this car has been & clearly not known what I was looking at.
A truly remarkable car & feat of engineering.
- 29,985
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
In 1991 and 1992 the British Touring Car Championship was won by the non-works Vic Lee Motorsport BMWs. The works Prodrive BMWs were nowhere near as good in either year.
In 1993 they did not win the championship but the non-works RML Ecurie Ecosse Vauxhalls frequently outclassed the works Dave Cook Vauxhalls; so much so that RML were given the works contract for 1994.
It's a bit trickier with F1 and engines depending on your definition of 'works' support but RBR outclassed Renault in 2010 before Enstone GP went through its naming roulette and Renault withdrew.
Open Question: Other examples of privateers or non-works teams beating the works teams of the same manufacturer?
In 1993 they did not win the championship but the non-works RML Ecurie Ecosse Vauxhalls frequently outclassed the works Dave Cook Vauxhalls; so much so that RML were given the works contract for 1994.
It's a bit trickier with F1 and engines depending on your definition of 'works' support but RBR outclassed Renault in 2010 before Enstone GP went through its naming roulette and Renault withdrew.
Open Question: Other examples of privateers or non-works teams beating the works teams of the same manufacturer?
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
- 11,639
- Intercourse, PA
- Carbonox
I dunno, STR cars aren't probably really intended to beat the Red Bulls, which is why I thought of it.Not really a works/non-works scenario though... and who can forget Vettel crying after wiping out Webber in the "senior" car? Happy days
I also don't actually remember Vettel crying, but Webber vomiting in his car on the other hand...
- 1,071
- Haywards Heath, West Sussex (i think)
- MMR_LukeMitchell
I believe Neal did so once or twice when he was a privateer.
- 8,227
- Drayton Bassett, North Warwickshire
- Duffers999
- Clark Duffy
In 2010 Colin Turkington did a few WTCC events with WSR in a BMW. He did so well the organisers changed him from an independent to a manufacturer entry (despite WSR getting no assistance from BMW. They changed it as he would've ended up winning the independent title despite only joining halfway through the season.
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
There will be quite a few - 1 start, 1 retirement. Theo Fitzau is one.
There could be nearly a hundred!
- 3,144
- Lancashire
- Ryk_BRM
Jenson?
First time he retired he got a comedy drive for some mickey mouse new team without a chance... Brawn GP... pah what happened to them.
And he retired again last year and he is back for Monaco in some mickey mouse old team without a chance. I guess after his inevitable victory in Monte Carlo, he will be up to three retirements from the sport.
----
I know Bill Vukovich had a 60% retirement rate, but also a 40% win rate for every race he started.
But there must be drivers who started once and didn't get to the end.
First time he retired he got a comedy drive for some mickey mouse new team without a chance... Brawn GP... pah what happened to them.
And he retired again last year and he is back for Monaco in some mickey mouse old team without a chance. I guess after his inevitable victory in Monte Carlo, he will be up to three retirements from the sport.
----
I know Bill Vukovich had a 60% retirement rate, but also a 40% win rate for every race he started.
But there must be drivers who started once and didn't get to the end.
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Theo was not driving an F1 car.There will be quite a few - 1 start, 1 retirement. Theo Fitzau is one.
There could be nearly a hundred!
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Andrea deCesaris had a truly awful record of retirements, maybe the worst. But every once in a long while he finished. I suppose there might have been a few drivers with very short careers who never finished a single race. Of the drivers who started but covered the least distance, Probably Ernst Loof is the record holder, having gone 2 meters before retiring.
- 6,009
- Finland
My best bet is German Grand Prix 1977 and Hans Heyer, officially ne never started an F1 race - he failed to qualify but sneaked himself to the starting grid anyway - and retired for a mechanical failure after a few laps. I see that as 0 races, 1 retirement which is pretty damn hard to beat.
